


Chances Lost

by Trash_Reads



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Huma - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, no beta no post preview we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-04 04:30:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18336209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_Reads/pseuds/Trash_Reads
Summary: Ben told her she would get her say, and he kept to his word. But now getting her say may cost Uma everything she holds dear. Huma.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rated for attempted rape, blood, some language, and abuse.

They’re finally doing it. They’re taking them all. Ben had really listened to her. Even Uma will get her chance, like Ben said. This isn’t how she originally wanted it to go, but at least she kick started the movement. Auradon was taking them all. Every Isle child was being given the chance to leave. There were stipulations, but considering everything Mal did in the beginning, they couldn’t exactly hold Uma’s actions against her. Her and Harry’s ‘trials’ were coming up soon. The trial was really just a chance to tell Auradon their stories, to show them they had it in them to be good. Uma didn’t know if she had it in her to be good, but she would try. She had to try. For Harry, for her crew. In Auradon or not, they still needed a Captain.

 

Uma glanced at Harry. He was standing next to her on the stony outcrop overlooking the docks, waiting for their ride to Auradon. Their entire crew was already gone, Gil included. Most of the kids were already accepted as students at Auradon Prep. They would be the last group to be tested. She could tell Harry was nervous, though he was hiding it well. She knew him better than anyone else though, and she could see it in the way his forever twitching and shaking hands were too still. The way his trademark ‘crazy’ grin and eyes weren’t quite true to form.

 

She reached out a hand and grabbed his hook lightly with one finger. He looked over at her questioningly. “Captain?”

 

“We’ll be fine, Harry.” She told him. They were alone, and she knew he would never judge her for being too ‘soft’.

 

Her words instantly shattered the façade he was trying to keep up. “What if I don’t make it? Everyone knows I’m crazy… Uma, what if they split us up?” He stared at her earnestly, truly afraid. A feeling he wished he was more unaccustomed to.

 

“They won’t.” She couldn’t even think the thought.

 

“But I’m cra-”

 

“Stop it.” She cut in. “You’re not crazy. And I won’t let them split us up, not like that. I won’t leave without you. Who even knows if I’ll get in?”

 

“You’ll get in, why wouldn’t you? You’re perfect.”

 

Uma glanced up at him in surprise, but she shouldn’t have been. She knew how deep his loyalty ran. How if they were anywhere else, they would call that loyalty by another name. He stared back at her unabashedly. He had never shied from moments like this. If anyone looked, they would see the crazy first mate obsessing over his captain. Uma knew better than that, she saw deeper.

 

“I’ve done things, Harry. You know that better than anyone.”

 

“We’ve all done bad things. It’s the way we were raised here.”

 

“You know I’ve done more than steal and cheat and lie. But if you get approved, I want you to go.” He opened his mouth to object, brow furrowed, but she cut him off. “That’s an order from your captain. You _will_ go to Auradon without me if you’re chosen and I’m not.”

 

“To find a way to break the barrier?” He asked.

 

She shook her head. “No Harry, to live.”

 

The look on his face would have been comical if it hadn’t been so heart wrenching. “I can’t leave you, Captain. I can’t live without you.”

 

“You can and you will.” He looked as if her were going to cry. There was no trace of his smile anymore.

 

“I can’t do this without you. I can’t do anything without you, Uma.” He whispered.

 

Though her heart throbbed painfully in her chest as she looked at him, she repeated with as much anger as she could muster- “You can, and you _will._ The crew needs a captain, and without me, that falls to you.” Then, softer, “They can help you, Harry. More than I ever could, more than anyone here can.”

 

“What if I don’t want their help?” Bitterly now.

 

Uma ignored him. “Come on, the boats here now. It’s time.”

 

He followed her obediently, _always so obedient_ , as they pick their way down the rocks to where the boat was waiting. They didn’t say another word to each other as the boat workers checked they had the right kids, eight in all. They didn’t get the royal treatment of a limousine like the original four. There were a lot of kids to transport since Ben’s new decree. They took eight with each pick up, and picked up once a week. So far only Gil’s older brother’s had been taken to Auradon and returned. Uma didn’t want to know what they had done to be turned away. She tried not to think about how after all this was over, it would just be her and a few of the worst Isle kids left on the Isle. _No Harry._ The thought hurt.

 

She allowed herself to sit closer to Harry on the boat than she would usually, arms pressed together. He didn’t say anything, but she felt him lean into her touch. The looks they gave the other kids dared them to make remarks on the closeness. It wouldn’t be long now, Uma figured.

 

* * *

 

For all Auradon like to distance themselves from the Isle, they weren’t all that far away, a little less than one nautical mile, although she wasn’t sure how she knew that. The information came to her unbidden, and she didn’t question it too much; she did have Cecaelia blood in her, after all. All too soon, she was ushered away from Harry’s warm side by one of the Auradon guards sent to retrieve them. They had largely ignored the other kids on the boat with them, and now they were sorted into separate cars for the short ride to the castle entrance. One of the guards attempted to steer Harry away from Uma and put him in a car with Sheer Khan’s daughter, and Harry said a few muttered words and laughed at him while pretending to examine his hook. Harry got to ride with Uma.

Uma slid into the backseat after Harry, sliding right into his side. With no one around except the driver, she could do as she pleased. He automatically slid his arm around her side, as if they did this all the time. She could almost let herself imagine living here with him, being allowed to do this kind of stuff all the time, and she ached with longing before she stuffed it down. She should never let herself think like that. Harry tried to speak once, but she hushed him, knowing him well enough to know the only thing he would want to do at the moment is convince her to let him come back to the Isle with her if she didn’t make the cut. She just wanted to enjoy this time with him, so rare and precious.

 

The eight kids were led into the castle without much fanfare. Originally, the villain kids coming to Auradon were a big deal. Now, however, after nearly four months and over a hundred Isle kids, it wasn’t such an excitement for the Auradon dwellers. The Auradon Prep students weren’t allowed to go near the newcomers either. Who knew the vicious ways untested Isle kids could corrupt the Prep kids. Uma rolled her eyes at the thought. She would never try to take down Auradon now. Not with so many of the little kids that Harry and her had pseudo adopted over the years being so happy at this dumb school. She could never ruin that for them. They had always been able to provide them with a place to stay to get away from their parents, but they had never been able to provide them a warm bed to sleep in apart from the hammocks below decks, and they had definitely never been able to provide warm meals every day to fill their hungry stomachs. No, Auradon was the best place for them.

 

Entering the castle hall, they had only a moment to take in the huge staircase and the AP banners hanging from the balcony (“ _a balcony, indoors!”_ Uma heard one of the other kids gasp) before being escorted down a hall to their immediate right. All eight kids were led to a waiting room of sorts, to be individually tested. Uma had no idea how this test was meant to work. Did she just have to answer some questions on a paper? She could do that… It would be easy enough to lie. That would explain why Gaston’s twins got sent home. She doubted they could read.

 

A kid Uma barely recognized as Dr. Facilier’s girl was the first to pass through the arched doorway in front of them. The huge wooden door slamming behind him seemingly of it’s own volition. Not fifteen minutes later she came back out. She looked a little like she was in shock, and she sat on the other side of the room without a sound. It didn’t take Uma long to realize they were doing this in alphabetical order Facilier, Frollo, Hades, The Hearts sisters, and Hiss. Hook would be after that. Considering that Uma had no last name, she assumed she would be going last. Of course she would. They waited as patiently as could be expected while the testing continued.

 

When the older Heart sister finally came out, Harry lost his patience. Uma was surprised he had lasted so long. He stood up and paced for a minute before focusing his gaze on Freddie Facilier. He smiled his most charming smile, and Uma couldn’t help the small smile that graced her own face at the sight. Harry walked- no, he _prowled_ , really- over to Freddie.

 

“Freddie!” Harry exclaimed excitedly, as if they had ever said more than ten words to each other in their entire lives.

 

Uma noticed Freddie looked more than a little apprehensive at Harry’s approach. She sat back and watched the show.

 

“So, Freddie,” Harry said, sitting next to her and throwing his left arm around the girl’s shoulders- bringing his hook dangerously close to Freddie’s neck. “What’s it like in there?”

 

Despite knowing it was a fear tactic, Uma felt a sudden rush of jealousy watching Harry with his arm around another girl. Pushing down the growl that wanted to rise in her throat, she forced herself to focus on what they were saying.

 

“The-they told me not to tell you guys about it.” Freddie stammered out, craning her neck to keep her eye on the hook.

 

Harry gently grabbed Facilier’s chin with his right hand and pulled her head around to face him. With her face inches from Harry’s bright blue eyes, lined with coal black liner, Uma could swear she saw the girl stop breathing for a minute. She tried to tell herself it was purely out of fear.

 

“Come on, who’s gonna hear?” Harry persuaded.

 

Freddie’s eyes did a mad dart around the room, though her chin was still caught in Harry’s grip. “She h-hooked me up to this th-thing… She called it a lie detector. Then she asked me some questions.”

 

“What _kind_ of questions, Freddie?” Harry asked her slowly, deliberately, as if the boy were had a hearing problem.

 

“A-about life on the Isle.” She swallowed hard. “What kind of crimes I had committed there.”

 

“And did you try and lie?” Harry wanted to know.

 

Freddie nodded slightly, too scared of the hook brushing her neck to move more than that. “I tried to tell her I never stole nothin’ in my life”

 

Harry waited a beat. “ _And?_ ” He asked impatiently.

 

“It wouldn’t let me lie! It-it’s magic!” Freddie told him.

 

Harry tapped the feather sticking out of Freddie’s hat and sent it swaying before sending the girl a flirty wink and striding back to Uma, falling into the seat beside her with more grace than any pirate had any right to have. He slung a leg over the arm of his chair and leaned into Uma. Usually she would have pushed him off, touching her in front of so many people. But today was different. Today might be their last day. He crossed his arms and pouted, though he would deny it vehemently if she ever pointed it out.

 

Uma ran a hand through his hair, and he turned his head into her touch, positively purring under her hand. Her throat felt tight. “The wink was a little much.” she told him.

 

She regretted it as soon as the words passed her lips, as he craned his head backwards to look at her upside down, beaming at her from ear to ear.

 

“Jealous?” He asked her elatedly.

 

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t stop petting his hair. He reminded her of a cat, the way he purred and turned his head into her hand, and she realized maybe she didn’t regret the comment much at all.

 

During Harry’s interrogation of Facilier, the younger Heart sister had joined them again and Hiss had gone in. Now the door opened once again and one of the guards motioned Harry forward as Hiss took a seat. “Hook.” He monotoned.

 

Harry glowered at the man, but reluctantly stood and made his way over when Uma nudged him off her arm.

 

She hadn’t realized how much his presence was calming her before, but as the door swung shut behind his lanky figure, her chest felt immediately tighter and she had to fight to breathe normally. The wait was agonizing, seeming to crawl by and take hours, whereas the other kids’ tests had seemed to take minutes. She was upset there wasn’t a clock in the room for her to watch the time, though she knew the ticking would have driven her more insane in this moment than it ever could a Hook.

 

Finally, finally, he came back out. She stood immediately to enter the room. He turned as if to say something to her as she passed him, but she ignored him and kept walking. If she spoke to him now, she might cry. Uma didn’t do tears. She could feed his eyes on her as the door swung shut behind her.

 

“Hello, Uma dear.” The fairy godmother was inside at a big glossy wooden table. On the table was a golden bracelet, nothing else. “Have a seat, please.” She waved her hand towards the seat opposite her. Uma sat.

 

Fairy Godmother quickly explained what was to happen. She was to put on the golden bracelet that would induce the truth from her. Wearing it, Uma would no longer be able to lie. Then Fairy Godmother would ask her questions about her life on the Isle to see if she was fit to live on Auradon and attend Auradon Prep. The idea was a scary one to Uma, who had learned to lie from a young age. Not just to get what she wanted but to keep herself safe. She slid the bracelet onto her wrist anyways. There were scarier things in life than telling the truth for a few minutes.

 

“What is your name?” Fairy Godmother asked her.

 

“Uma.” Uma answered her, brow furrowed. What kind of question was that? They knew that already.

 

“How old are you?”

 

“17.” Uma told her without hesitation. She wondered how Harry answered the question. He knew he was around her age, but he didn’t know when he was born.

 

“Who are your parents?”

 

“Ursula.”

 

“And your father?” Fairy Godmother was writing stuff down on a clipboard. Uma tried to lean forward and see what was being written about her, but Fairy Godmother pulled it out of her view.

 

Uma sat back, giving up on reading it. “I didn’t know him. Mom told me one time that he was a sailor. That’s all I know.”

 

“Have you ever lied?”

 

Uma almost scoffed at that. What kind of question was that? She’s a villains kid raised on the Isle. They had _all_ lied. “Yes.”

 

“Mhm…” Fairy Godmother made a tick on her paper. “Have you ever stolen anything?”

 

“Everyone on the Isle steals.” Uma told her, rolling her eyes.

 

“That’s not what I asked, Dearie.”

 

“Yes. I’ve stolen.”

 

“What have you stolen?” She pried.

 

“Food, blankets, swords, supplies for the ship, clothes, weapons, bandages and other first aid supplies,” Uma wanted to stop after food and blankets, but she couldn’t. The bracelet felt hot against her skin, and she felt compelled to keep talking, to keep naming things she had stolen. She wanted to explain that she had children to feed and clothe, that most of the time when she stole, it was for them. She couldn’t stop herself from continuing. “Alcohol,” for cleaning wounds, “silk,” for stitching them. But she couldn’t bring herself to say these things, only the items she had stolen. Finally, her list ran dry.

 

Fairy Godmother was staring at her with her eyebrow raised. “You’ve given your… first mate, is it? A run for his money.”

 

Uma couldn’t help the feeling of pride in her first mate that rose up for a moment before squashing it down. It wasn’t good that he had to confess everything he had stolen. He had stolen as much or more than she had. She opened her mouth to finally try and explain the thefts, but Fairy Godmother beat her to it.

 

“Have you ever cheated?”

 

Uma wanted to ask ‘at what?’ but she didn’t figure it mattered, and in any case she was answering the question before she had much chance to think about it. “Yes.”

 

“Have you ever physically harmed someone?”

 

“Yes.” Uma was starting to feel ill, and tried to struggle against the affects of the bracelet, knowing what was coming up.

 

“It’s easier if you don’t struggle, Uma.” She noticed Fairy Godmother had used her name this time instead of calling her ‘dear.’ _Not pleased with my answers, Fairy Godmother?_ Uma thought bitterly.

 

“Have you ever killed anyone?” Fairy Godmother asked.

 

Uma fought against it as hard as she could, but the bracelet felt like it was burning her, squeezing her wrist, and the word was bubbling out of her despite her efforts.

 

“Yes.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

After her admission, her session was over. It had probably taken half the time as most of the other kids. They didn't have to tell Uma what she already knew. She had failed. She would be shipped back to the Isle immediately, never to see her friends again. They tried to lead her through another door, but she dug her heels in. "Please, let me say goodbye _._ " Uma didn't beg, but even she had to admit this was pretty damn close to it.

Fairy Godmother watched her with narrowed eyes, calculating, as if determining whether she would go crazy all of a sudden and start killing people. Or maybe she thought Uma would be stupid enough to attempt to run away while surrounded by guards.

" _Please._ " Uma said again.

Fairy Godmother nodded once and left the room, leaving a guard in the corner of the room. Harry came in a minute later.

"Uma!" He ran forward. He stopped at the look on her face. "Uma, no…"

"I'm sorry Harry," she told him pitifully. "I really am."

"I won't go without you, Captain." Harry was shaking his head adamantly.

"You don't have a choice Harry. You're going to be a student at Auradon Prep now. They're going to help you in a way I never could."

"Captain, no.  _Please._ " He begged her, falling to his knees in front of her. Even on his knees while she stood, he wasn't much shorter than she was. He let out a sob, defeated. "Please don't leave me."

She took a step forward and fell on her knees as well, throwing her arms around his shoulders. She had never felt pain this immense before. Still, she didn't shed a tear. He wrapped his arms around her waist, strong and warm. As if he thought if he held tight enough, he could keep her there with him. She could feel his hook pressed into her back, and the cold steel helped keep her focused, grounded.

They sat like that for some time, not saying a word, Uma holding him as he cried, trying to stay strong for him. Then Fairy Godmother came prancing into the room and said happily, "Time to go dearies!"

She felt Harry tense underneath her and she pulled back to hold his face. "Harry. Harry, look at me." She told him firmly, waiting until his eyes met hers before continuing. "You  _can do this_. You can." She wanted to tell him that this wasn't the end of them. She wanted to tell him that they would see each other again. But they had made a pact a long time ago never to lie to each other, her and her first mate. Even now, she couldn't bring herself to break that pact. She straightened and allowed herself to lean forward and kiss him on the forehead before standing. His hand trailed down her arm as she stood, reluctant to let her leave. She followed the guard through the door on the other side of the room, glancing back once to see him still on his knees, dejected and miserable, staring at her retreating form. Then she let the door fall shut behind her.

The guard led her to a car at the entrance of the castle. People were gathering now. A kid being sent back was much more interesting than arriving. They all came to stare and whisper about the Isle kid too evil to be allowed to live in Auradon with them. Uma held her head high as she was marched to the car. They drove across a magical bridge this time, like the one she had seen the original four use when they left. She didn't care, couldn't feel excited. The drive back without Harry felt much longer than the boat ride and drive had felt on the way there.

Back on the Isle, she walked into the fish and chip shop, and went straight upstairs to her room. She passed her mother; who looked as proud as someone who didn't know how to love could look.  _Her_  daughter was one of the few evil enough to be sent back. Uma ignored her and shut her bedroom door behind her. She sat on the floor of her bedroom, remembering all the times she and Harry and sat in here making plans, talking, laughing, and she let out a sob. Finally letting herself cry.

* * *

 

Back on Auradon, Harry was being led to his new room. He went with them willingly, despite wanting to hook them all. He sated himself with imagining tearing out their throats, letting their blood spill to the floor. All of them deserved to die. All of them deserved pain. Uma was sent back… the purest, kindest person he knew. The one who held them all together; who had started 'adopting' all the Isle kids who didn't have parents or who were better off without them. He felt sick. But still, he followed his Captain's orders. He let them take him to his room. A room he was to share with an Auradon Prep kid. They didn't pair Isle kids with Isle kids anymore. A few of the Prep kids tried to take issue with it when the rule first came into play, but they didn't have much of a choice. There were new rooms all around, and every Isle kid was paired with an Auradon kid.

The Fairy Godmother herself led him to his room. "Now if I could just take that hook, love…" she reached out for it, but Harry danced away. "Come now, you can't have a weapon on school grounds, I'll put it in a safe place for you." She took a step forward and he stepped backwards onto the bed and down the other side, putting it between them. She looked scandalized at the sight of his muddy footprints on the comforter. "Fine, you can keep it for now. But if any harm comes to another student with it, it will be taken from you immediately and you will  _not_  be seeing it again." Harry just stared at her. Unnerved at the icy, wide-eyed gaze, and the lopsided smirk, she cleared her throat and told him, "Your roommate will be here shortly to show you around." Then fled the room.

Harry was alone only long enough to catch his reflection in the mirror and wipe the eyeliner off his cheeks. He wore enough that it didn't need reapplied just because some had run off. His roommate, as it turns out, was Phoebus and Esmeralda's son. He had his mother's dark skin, hair, and green eyes.

"Victor de Châteaupers," he held out a hand, "pleasure to meet you."

Harry pushed down the urge to hook the boy and grinned wickedly. "No no, Vicky, the pleasure is all mine!" He exclaimed, winking. He ignored the offered hand.

Victor cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, uhm, its Victor."

"Right you are, Vicky." Harry threw a quick wink his way. "You gonna show me around this place or what?"

Victor nodded, eyeing Harry warily as he led the way out of the room. People kept an eye on Harry as he passed them in the halls. Used to Isle kids as they were, they weren't used to one of them having a weapon. And while most of the Isle kids weren't all sunshine and rainbows, none of them had that dangerous, somewhat deranged look in their eyes.

Harry followed Victor as he pointed out some classrooms and then the cafeteria, where strange smells were permeating the air. His stomach growled in protest as they continued walking.

"Do you want to stop and get something to eat?" Victor questioned him, hearing the pirate's stomach growl.

"No."

"Are you sure? You sound hungry."

"Keep walking." Harry snapped.

Victor fought the urge to roll his eyes. The last thing he needed was to get on the bad side of his crazy new roommate. Victor showed him where each of his classes would be held, remedial goodness 101 that Harry assumed Victor and the other Auradon kids had never had to take, along with history, math, and some that he had never heard of, like chemistry. After showing Harry all around the castle, they headed outdoors to see the grounds.

Harry raised an arm to shade his eyes as they stepped outside. He was sure he would never get used to the blinding sun here. The Isle always seemed permanently clouded over. The barrier blocked some of the sun's harshness. It was incredibly hot here, underneath the full power of the sun. Uma would love it. The water was always like ice on the Isle, but here, he assumed, the water would be warmer. The thought of Uma back on the Isle made him angry all over again.

"Captain!" Harry's heart leapt at the word, spinning to see Desiree running towards him. "Captain, I heard what happened. Uma-"

Harry cut her off, stepping into her personal space. The girl's eyes widened, but she forced herself not to back up a step. She knew cowering in fear would only make it worse on her. "I'm not your captain." Harry ground out the words.

"But Uma-" she started again

"Isn't dead. So she's still your captain. Where's your loyalty?" He demanded. "Spread the word. And call me captain again and you won't live to regret it."

She nodded once, sharply, and ran off the way she had come.

"You know I'm supposed to report any instances of you threatening people with you hook, right?" Victor asked from behind him.

Harry spun around on the heel of his boot. "That wasn't a threat, it was a kind warning. A promise, if you will." He was grinning. "And I never raised my hook."

Victor stared at him for a beat, one eyebrow raised. Finally he sighed, "Come on, I'll show you around the rest of the grounds."

The rest of the walk was fairly uneventful. Harry was unimpressed by their stupid magic statue, and honestly he though King Beast looked better as a beast than a man. He was getting more and more restless as they strolled through the gardens, but attempted to be on his best behavior. Uma wanted him to do well here whether he liked it or not.

After Victor seemed to have decided he had tortured Harry long enough, they went back inside. "It's dinner time now," he told Harry, "would you like to join me for supper?"

Harry laughed at his fancy Auradon wording. "Nah, mate. Not hungry."

"But you-"

As Harry cut him off for what felt like the hundredth time that night, annoyance flashed in Victor's green eyes.  _Interesting…_  Harry thought.  _He may have some of his mother's famed spirit yet. I can work with that._  "I said I'm not hungry." He walked away, glaring daggers at anyone who glanced his way. He stomped his way upstairs, footfalls heavy in his clunky boots. He threw the door to his dorm open, taking in all the flowery and light decorations. He pulled all the curtains shut, but even that couldn't block out the sunshine. He went over to the bed on the side of the room that didn't have any belongings crowding it, and sat down. The bed was so soft, Harry stood back up in shock. Turning around, he pressed a hand into the bed, pushing it down. Pulling his hand away, he watched the imprint his hand made in the comforter and mattress slowly reform to its natural position. Then he scowled at it. How was he supposed to sleep on this? What was even in it? The curiosity proved to be too much for the irritated pirate as he quickly swiped his hook down across the bed. Feathers went everywhere. They floated around in the air like the snow he had read in one of Uma's books with her. This time he didn't shy away from the memory of her. Though he had seen her only a few hours ago, the thought of her caused him so much agony. He relished in it, welcomed the pain in his chest. Sliced through the comforter again and watched the feathers fly. Again. Again. He imagined in the blankets the faces of Auradon Prep kids and faculty. He would hook them all if it weren't for Uma. She never did want him to kill anyone. He took his anger and pain out on the feathery blanket until there was nothing left but shreds, feathers everywhere.

He considered whether he should start in on the pillows or the mattress next.  _The pillows_ , he decided. Just as he raised his hook to come down on the pillow, the door opened. There stood Vicky, Claude Frollo, who had come to Auradon with him and Uma earlier that day, and an Asian boy Harry didn't recognize. The four boys stared at each other in shock. Harry glaring, the other three taking in the sight of the feather covered room. It looked like Elsa had lost control of her powers in here and let loose a snowstorm. They were still floating in the air, covered the ground, and Harry… Well Harry looked like about as threatening as a snowman. He still had his hook of course, his eyeliner, and his eyes looked as crazy as ever. His hands were shaking. But something about seeing him with feathers sticking to every inch of him, in his hair and on his clothes, took away from the sinister air he usually had about him.

Silence.

Finally, Victor doubled over in laughter. All eyes turned to Victor for a moment before, despite their better judgment, the other two boys started laughing too. Harry scowled at the three of them, not moving.

Regaining his breath, Victor danced over to Harry and plucked a feather from his hair. "I'm sorry," he laughed breathlessly, "but you should really see yourself."

Harry turned towards the mirror on the wall and couldn't help but cracking a smile. Albeit a tiny one, lifting only a corner of his mouth, but a smile nonetheless.

"Come on guys," Victor told his friends. "Let's help Olaf here get cleaned up before the Headmistress sees."

Harry scowled at him again before plopping on the bed. He watched as they scooped up piles upon piles of feathers. They said nothing in response to his idleness. Instead, Victor introduced him to the other boys while they worked. "Harry, this is Bradley, Mulan and Li's son. And I'm sure you know Claude." He motioned to the boys in turn. Bradley waved at him before excusing himself for a moment to grab trash bags from another room. Claude's older sister had arrived to Auradon on the boat with Harry and Uma.

"Yeah, I know Claude Frollo. His dad's the one who still talks about wanting to fuck your mom." Harry said to Victor, waiting for a reaction from the other boy.

Claude responded instead. "Yeah, my dad's a major creep. Victor doesn't hold it against me." He smiled at the Auradon Prep boy and Victor grinned back happily. Victor shooed Harry off the bed to clean underneath him. Harry growled and narrowed his eyes at him, but hopped off the bed so they could clean it off. Bradley brought the trash bags back, along with another comforter.

"Where did you get that?" Victor asked him.

Bradley smiled slyly. "Snuck past Babette and got it from the clean bin in the laundry room."

Claude looked like he was in shock. " _You_ stole them?"

"Good kids can be bad sometimes too… especially for the right reasons. It won't be hard for them to replace." Bradley said as spread the comforter over Harry's newly cleaned bed.

Harry watched them work, leaning against a desk. "Why…" He trailed off, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of thinking he appreciated any of this. He didn't need their help.

Bradley seemed to understand. "Why are we helping you?"

Harry just stared at him.

Then Victor spoke up. "I don't know, Harry. I just want to help you be comfortable here. We all do. You can have friends here if you don't push people away."

They could only watch as Harry pushed off the desk and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

The three boys looked downtrodden. "He'll be alright." Victor tried to be positive.

Claude thought about what he knew of Harry and Uma. Thought of them on the boat, pressed side by side. Of Harry's unstable mental state and complete and utter devotion to his captain, passed off as an obsession. "No, I'm not so sure he will."

"Harry is here?"

Ben looked up from his chemistry book to see Mal in the entrance to his dorm. "Hello to you too, Mal. It's so nice to see you this morning." He shot her a cheeky grin.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Good morning, Ben. Harry is here?"

Ben closed his book and leaned back. "Yeah, he arrived yesterday with another group of Islanders."

"And Uma?" She asked him tersely. "When will she be here?"

Ben knew that one was coming. He shook his head sadly. "She didn't pass the test, Mal."

"What?" Mal exclaimed. "That can't be right!"

"The test results don't lie, Mal. She…" He hesitated.

"What? What did she do?" She demanded, stalking over to him. She stood over him, unconsciously using old intimidation techniques from the Isle.

Ben was unfazed. "I don't think I should tell you, Mal. It's not really my place."

"Ben! This isn't a good idea. I don't exactly see eye to eye with Uma, but you can't just bring him here and leave her! It's not healthy."

"Codependence isn't healthy, Mal" Ben tried to interject, But Mal continued talking over him as if he hadn't said a word.

"And you don't know Harry and Uma like the Isle kids know them. Harry especially. They've been inseparable since they were kids and when she's not around Harry just gets worse and Ben, seriously I don't think leaving her there is a good idea it could be dangerous and-"

"Mal!" Ben shouted, interrupting her panicked rant. "Uma, she… She killed someone." He whispered the words, ashamed to be speaking about it.

Mal fell onto the couch beside him and slumped down in shock. "No… She wouldn't. She lives and breathes for her crew. She always wanted to beat me, to be the best at being the worst. But she has a soft heart, Ben. She really does."

Ben rubbed his face with both hands. "Mal, she murdered a man. I can't just ignore that."

Mal sat up angrily. "You said you would give her a chance. You promised her!"

"She got her chance! Everyone got a chance. I told her she would get her say, and it's done so much good. But I  _can't_  just let her in after she failed the test. What kind of precedent would that set? Everyone who fails the test will be wanting in."

Mal looked at him sadly. "You don't know what you're doing." She stood and walked out of the room.

Ben stood and paced the length of the room. Her quick and vehement defense for Uma surprised him. He knew there was no love lost between the two girls. But that fact just made him worry more; it showed that she wasn't just doing this out of selfish reasons but truly for the good of Harry and Uma. He thought back on what she had ranted about.  _'It could be dangerous'_ she had said. Suddenly he wished he had let her continue. He knew Harry was a little…  _unbalanced,_ but surely it couldn't be as bad as she was making it sound.

He fell back onto the couch and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. She said didn't know what he was doing and she was right. He didn't need his girlfriend to tell him that.


	3. Chapter 3

Uma had tried to continue with life as normal, but she didn't know what normal was anymore. She still worked insane hours at her mom's shop, but they didn't have as many customers anymore. Some of her mom's best customers were Uma's own crew. And beyond that, it was a major hangout for quite a few of the kids around these parts. They still had their regulars, some old timers who came in to talk to about their glory days, fighting good and sometimes even almost winning. But it was slow around here these days.

Harry and Uma had been among the last of kids brought to Auradon, as Uma requested. Partly because she wanted to make sure all of the kids got off the Isle like Ben said they would. But the selfish part of her knew it was because she didn't want to lose any time with Harry. It was always a strong possibility that she wouldn't get accepted into Auradon, and she didn't want Harry to leave until the last possible minute. She didn't regret that time she stole from him at all, knowing he would have wanted the same thing if she had given him the choice. But remembering his sobs as she turned away from him and walked out of the room… She regretted not telling him sooner that she knew he would be staying at Auradon alone.

She pushed the memory away as she threw her apron onto a hook in the kitchen and pushed her way outside. She breathed in the cool night air. She supposed a few months ago she would have considered it fresh, but after being outside of the barrier multiple times, she knew she would never smell real fresh air again.

The whole Isle felt so… empty now. Most of the population was people who had committed direct crimes against the citizens of Auradon, so the children were the minority. But it had never felt like it when walking around. The children ran rampant around the island while the adults mostly stayed indoors when they could and moped about better times long lost. They left the children to fend for themselves and even take care of the shops in some cases, like Uma's. She made a point to steal from shops that were children-run. It's not like the kids ever got a chance to keep the money. Better to steal it and use it to buy her wharf rats clothes and food and blankets for the hammocks that were always open to them should they need it.

She avoided the marketplace, not needing the reminder that she was the only kid left. Except Gaston's two older boys, that is. She walked along the beach until she came to the rocky overlook where she and Harry had stood on the rocks and watched the boat come for them. She climbed to where they had stood and sat down. She wished now she had grabbed his hand instead of his hook. She wished she had stood closer, wished she had hugged him to her. In fact, she wished she had done a lot more of that in their years together. They touched a lot, yes. Little touches here and there, anything they thought they could get away with. It wasn't just Harry initiating them, either. Uma was just as guilty. Even when she shoved him or pushed him away, she remembered the contact against her hands. She missed him so much already, and it had barely been two days. It was Sunday now, she figured. Knowing that the boats always picked up on Fridays. Time was hard sometimes on the Isle, especially without Harry and his pocket watch around.

Memories of her crew were difficult to think about, but manageable. The memories of Harry left her aching inside, feeling like she was being ripped apart. She wanted to forget him, to forget he ever existed. She wanted to forget his stupid accent and how he said her name like a prayer. He was gone now, and there was no use dwelling on the memories. He wouldn't be coming back. She had told him not to, and beyond all else, the boy was loyal to a fault.

She had been left behind… Left on the Isle of the Lost to rot. The name felt more apt than ever. Lost. That's exactly what she was. Without her crew, she wasn't a captain. And without her first mate, she was… Well, she supposed that's what made her lost. And all because of one man. She felt her blood boil at the thought of him.

* * *

 

She had just closed up shop one night, and it was almost one in the morning. She was heading down to the shore to sit by the water for a while, thoughts on Auradon and revenge.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her and she spun around. She didn't immediately see anything, but who knows what could be down here by the water in the middle of the night. Things lurked under the waves around the island that even a Cecaelia didn't want to mess with. She cursed herself for leaving her blade in the bin back at the shop. What an air-headed move. She was making her way to the back entrance of the shop when a figure appeared from behind the boxes stacked against the wall. She froze and immediately reached for her cutlass, cursing herself again when her hand found only empty air above the sheath. As her eyes adjusted to the dark shadows hidden from even the moon, she saw the shape of a man take form. Standing at 5'3", she was well aware the odds were not in her favor without a weapon. He was at least a foot taller than her, and much broader in the shoulder. The cold steel of her dagger was strapped to her ankle, she could feel it there, almost taunting her to grab for it. The man was too close though, if she lunged for it, all it would do is give him a chance to overpower her while she was distracted.

Given little choice, she decided to try intimidation. "Do you know who I am?" She demanded curtly, eyes narrowing in a menacing glare. "Move out of my way."

"Aye, little girl. I know who ye are." He didn't move.

"Then step aside. You'd best move along before you get yourself hurt."

He chuckled and moved forward a step. Uma couldn't help but shift backwards, though she kept her feet planted firmly on the ground. She tensed, and made a mad leap for her right, away from the shop. She was going to roll and grab for her dagger, then come up and fight. He was clearly anticipating her next move, and he grabbed her quickly as she moved. He used his full weight to throw her against the back wall of the shop. She tried to knee him in the groin, but he pressed his body against hers and put his hand to her mouth. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear "Now, now, girlie. If you don't scream, maybe I won't kill you." She felt the tip of a dagger against her stomach and pressed herself further against the wall trying to back away from him and the dagger as far as she could, heart racing, feeling flushed with a fear she had never felt before. He pressed forward, bringing his body flush against hers again. Lowering the hand that was against her mouth, he pressed his own mouth against hers. Her eyes widened in shock as it dawned on her for the first time just what he wanted from her. So she bit down on his lip as hard as she could, and tasted blood as she broke his skin.

He pulled back with a muffled scream, and leaned away from her for a moment, only to punch her before she could scream. The blow landed right below her right eye, and her head slammed into the wall behind her. She was seeing stars, knees going limp for a moment as she fought the tidal wave of darkness that threatened to overcome her.

Uma couldn't believe it this was really happening. She had learned how to fence, had stolen herself the best weapons to be found on the island, and surrounded herself with a loyal crew. And she was about to be raped by this scumbag. Despite everything going on, Uma had enough consciousness left to be angry with herself for the weakness. He was holding her against the wall again, his leg between hers and a hand holding her arms above her head being the only things that kept her upright. She could still feel the dagger point digging into her stomach, too dull to draw blood unless he pushed harder, but still painful against the soft skin of her belly. He pushed his mouth against hers again, and though she felt sick over it, she could barely turn her head to fight against him.

All of a sudden he was ripped away from her, and she fell to the ground in a heap, lying against the wall. It took her a moment to get her bearings, and then she looked around to see what had happened. It didn't take her long to pinpoint the reason she was no longer in danger.  _Harry._  She could almost sob in relief. As it was, a few tears leaked out as she watched him beating the man into the ground. Harry was on top of him, punching,  _punching,_  and she realized he wouldn't stop until the man was long past death. She had never seen him so angry.

"Harry." She called to him. He made no indication that he had heard her. "Harry!" She called again. Still nothing. Forcing herself to a standing position, she wobbled over to him and grabbed his arm as he pulled it back for another swing at the man's face. He spun around to face her, and pulled back his left arm as if to strike her, hook gleaming in the moonlight, and at the same time, drawing his cutlass with his right. Despite everything, she didn't flinch at Harry's actions. He wouldn't ever hurt her. She placed a hand on his right arm, lowering the cutlass until the tip touched the ground. Staring into his face, she almost couldn't recognize him. He always looked a little unhinged, she was used to it, liked it even. It was just Harry, and she liked everything about him. But she had never seen anything like this. He looked as if he had completely lost it, face distorted with such blind fury like nothing she had ever seen. "Harry." She said his name again and saw recognition gleam in his eyes. "Don't do this, Harry."

He couldn't even form a sentence, "He, he was-!" He yelled out in rage.

She placed a hand on his cheek. "Leave him, Harry. He might die anyways," this was true she knew, looking at the now unrecognizable face of her attacker. "If he lives, he knows never to mess with us again." He was shaking worse than ever, but he seemed to calm under her touch. She was so angry, so enraged at being put in the position of the victim, she almost wanted to release Harry from her grip, to let him kill the man, give him the slow death that he clearly deserved. But she couldn't do that to Harry; she knew he was only being held together by the thinnest of strands, this could be the thing that finally broke him. He could be lost to her forever. So instead, she slid her hand further down his arm to grasp the cutlass. She pried it gently from his fingers, working them lose one at a time until she held his cutlass. "Come on, let's get out of here."

She had to tug at his arm to get him to follow her, but when he started walking she leaned against his arm for support.

They were walking past the edge of the shop, heading back to their ship when she felt the man grab her arm from behind. Without thinking, she spun around with the cutlass still in hand and thrust it towards the offender. She felt the cutlass break through skin and muscle to pierce his abdomen. She stared into the beaten, bloody face of the man she had thought to injured to even walk as he fell backwards. He slid off the sword in her hand and crumpled to the ground, dead. Blood was quickly pooling around him, dripping from the cutlass, splattered on her hand and arm. Blood, so much blood. Uma had never had a problem with blood before. But now, with it permeating all her senses, it was all she could focus on. She could smell it, the strong iron smell pervading her nose. She could see it, red, everywhere. She could taste it still, though whether it was her own from him hitting her or his from biting him, she didn't know. She could feel it, hot and sticky on her skin.

It was Harry's turn to grab hold of her face and turn her towards him. "Uma, we need to get out of here." He still looked murderous, but he looked slightly more like the first mate she knew. He kept glancing towards the shore, and she turned her head to look. Something was stirring beneath the water, something big, or a lot of something smalls. They smelled the blood, and they wouldn't stay under the waves for long. She handed him his sword and he sheathed it before wrapping an arm around her waste and leading her away. They left the body; they could hear whatever was in the water breech the surface, but they didn't turn to look. The body wouldn't be there much longer.

* * *

 

Uma tried to calm herself. The anger would get her nowhere at the moment. Even the memory of the whole situation made her feel so weak. She  _hated_  feeling weak. That night, she allowed herself to be cared for by her first mate.

Allowing him to fetch a pail of water and rags, he washed her face first. Then moved to scrub the blood off her hands and arms. She let him help her out of her clothes and into leggings and a big t-shirt that she knew belonged to him. The next day they would never mention how much care he showed in his ministrations. How gentle he was with her. And they definitely never talked about how when he left her lying on the bed, she caught his hand and he turned back around with question in his gaze. Silent communication was a specialty of theirs though, and after a beat, he kicked off his shoes, dropped his jacket and belt to the floor, and crawled into bed behind her. He lay down between her and the wall, leaving her an escape route if she decided to bolt from the bed. He didn't touch her, let her come to him and set the boundaries. They definitely never talked about how she laid her head on his chest and they wrapped their arms around each other. To this day, she didn't know who shed the first tear. But she remembered holding him and being held by him as they cried. They sobbed together as the adrenaline rush left their bodies, cried for the loss of the little innocence they had left. They fell asleep like that, and awoke entangled the next morning.

That night jump-started a new dawn of training and sparring. They learned together how best to take down an enemy with no weapons. They made sure every member of their crew learned how to defend themselves with and without weapons. They swore that no kid that came to them would be left defenseless. No kid would ever be put in the position Uma had found herself in.

Uma searched the rocks around her for some flat skipping stones. Finding a few, she gathered them up and tossed one the way Harry had shown her so long ago, watching as it went hopping along the water. Past the barrier it went, sinking into the murky depths three skips after passing through the magical barrier. She envied the stones, envied the sand and the waves. These were the few things that could go through the barrier. Uma and Harry had spent countless hours scouring the rocky beaches together for the flattest stones they could find and skipping them past the barrier. Uma sighed, dropping the rest of the flat rocks she had gathered and wrapped her arms around her knees.

So this was to be her life now, branded a murdered and left on a half empty island with a bunch of old villains stuck reliving their glory days. But she understood them now. Stuck here in misery, all they could do was look back. She was one of them now, and she realized with startling clarity that she would never truly wish to forget her first mate. If she forgot everything else in her life, she hoped to remember him until her last breath.

* * *

 

Harry was shaking. That in and of itself wasn't all that unusual, his hands always seemed to be moving or quivering of their own volition. But his legs felt unsteady, and he felt as if he had the chills the way his body shook. He wasn't cold though; he didn't know what was wrong with him. It had been four days since he came to Auradon prep. It was Tuesday now. He attended classes when he wanted and wandered the grounds when he didn't, traipsing around and sending faculty and students alike scampering away. He snapped at everyone who came near, and he supposed Ben or the headmistress had told faculty to leave him be for the time being, as they didn't bother him much. The students didn't need to be told to avoid him, both Auradon kids and Isle kids figured it out on their own. The few brave enough to try approaching him in the first place barely had to glance at his face before they backed off, faces paling. Without Uma and a ship to run, with nothing to keep his mind occupied, he  _lived_ for the sounds of conversations quieting as he walked by. For the fear he could taste on the air when someone found him or herself to close to him. Besides his crew, the only ones to make an attempt at talking with him anymore were Claude, Bradley, and Vicky. When his glares and sharp rebukes weren't enough to deter them, he mostly ignored them. He spent most of his time in his dorm, curtains pulled as tightly closed as they could get. Despite this, or maybe because of it, the three boys spent a lot of their time in there as well.

Harry knew it was the afternoon only when the three came traipsing into the dorm, loaded down with books and homework, and chattering along happily. They immediately spread out around the room, Bradley taking a spot at the desk and Claude sitting next to Victor on the floor, leaning against the bed so they were facing the desk.

Despite his annoyance at their presence, at  _anyone's_ presence, Harry found comfort in having voices around him. The voices in his head always started to yell when Uma was gone. Today they were screaming.

Hopping off the bed, Harry wobbled a bit before regaining his balance.  _Strange…_ He brushed it off and took a step forward with every intention of leaving the room and the annoying prep kids to their studies. Dizzy, he stepped backwards until his knees hit the bed and he sat on it with a thump. He buried his head in his hands… His head really hurt. How had he not noticed that until now? It was too damn bright in here. Lifting his head to squint around the room, he saw Claude, Victor, and Bradley watching him.

"What are you all staring at?" He snarled.

Bradley and Claude at least had the common decency to glance away and pretend they hadn't been staring. Victor however, wouldn't let Harry's temper unnerve him anymore. At least, he wouldn't let it show.

"Harry." Victor called in a concerned voice.

"Vicky." Harry mimicked his tone sarcastically.

Victor ignored the stupid nickname. "When was the last time you left the room?"

Harry just grunted in reply, burying his head back in his hands.

"When was the last time you ate?" He probed.

Harry didn't respond, but he didn't have to; his stomach did it for him. Loudly.

"Have you seen him eat at all since he got here?"

"He came to the cafeteria that one time…"

"Yeah, but did he eat?"

Silence. Harry couldn't decipher who had been speaking. Couldn't quite make sense of their words, lost as he was in the throbbing behind his eyes.  _Die, die, die._ The voices in his head were commanding him, but he didn't know whether they were pushing for him to kill the other boys, or himself. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder, and he threw a slow punch in their direction. It didn't land.

"Come on, Olaf." Vicky, then. "Let's go get you something to eat."

Harry groaned and leaned away from him. "Don't call me that."

"Alright then, Frosty. But you're coming with me. Bradley, come help me get him up."

It took some maneuvering, but they got him standing. Once they started walking with him, Harry found his feet and started supporting more of his own weight.

"I got him, you go ahead and get him some food."

Victor left his side, and Harry saw him grab Claude's hand and lead him downstairs presumably to go to the cafeteria ahead of them.

"I'm not hungry. And I can walk on my own." Harry ground out.

Bradley laughed lightly. "I'm sure you can, Frosty." They continued on towards the cafeteria.

Harry growled, but made no comment.

"You know, it's hard to take you seriously when I could drop you on the floor right now and you wouldn't be able move."

Harry cursed him under his breath, and pulled away from him on legs that felt like jelly. Stubbornly, he walked himself into the cafeteria. It was almost empty at this time of day, but it was so, so loud. Harry couldn't tell if the few people that were in the room were being deafeningly loud, or if their were just more voices in his head.

Claude dropped a tray of food unceremoniously in front of Harry. The action reminded him of Uma throwing trays around at her mom's shop.

Harry looked at it suspiciously and poked the food with a fork.

"It's not poisoned." Claude rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" Harry wanted to know.

Victor sat on the bench across from him, raising an eyebrow. "It's pizza. You've never had pizza?"

Shaking his head, Harry poked at a salad that was on the plate too. Then he picked up the pizza and nibbled at it. That was all it took to make him suddenly ravenous and he practically inhaled the pizza before starting on the small salad. He was very aware of the few people in the cafeteria all watching him cautiously, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The voices seemed quieter now.

"You might want to slow down. You haven't eaten in a while." Harry ignored their advice and polished off the food along with a white drink they had set in front of him.

"What is it?" He asked them, examining the remains of the drink in his glass.

Bradley and Victor looked at him in disbelief. "Milk." Claude was the one to answer him. "Good, huh?"

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Like mother's milk?" He looked at them askance.

"Uuh sort of." Victor told him.

Harry set the glass down and pushed it away from him, now looking at the contents suspiciously.

The three boys exchanged amused glances before Harry groaned, holding his stomach. Their looks turned to ones of concern. "Maybe we should get you back up to the dorm." Bradley suggested.

Harry spent the next hour in the bathroom in their dorm, losing everything he had just eaten. When he finally felt better, he came out and fell onto his stomach on his bed.

"I know you're probably not feeling up to it right now, but I brought you some toast. We shouldn't have given you such heavy food when you haven't eaten in… What, four days?" Victor was standing over him. Bradley and Claude were gone.

Harry mumbled into his pillow incomprehensibly. Victor though he heard something about 'tried to kill me'

Victor laughed lightly, setting the plate of buttered toast on the nightstand next to the bed. "I'll just leave this here. But you should eat it sooner rather than later. Why didn't you eat this whole time?"

Harry mumbled into his pillow again.

"I can't understand you with your face in a pillow." Victor told him.

Turning his face to the side, Harry told him simply "I forgot."

"How do you just  _forget_  to eat for days?" He exclaimed.

Harry shrugged as best as he could manage while lying there. Then, remarkably, he decided to tell the truth. "I don't know what to do without her. My head is so loud." He pushed his face back into the pillow.

This pathetic sight was too much for Victor to deal with. He was used to Harry's temper. He snapped at everyone who came near and made threats of disembowelment even to his own crew. They seemed to want to be near him, and always lurked about on the rare occasions Harry left his dorm, but they stopped trying to approach by the third day. He was silent and angry constantly, and never listened to anyone. Not even Fairy Godmother. But despite this, Victor had actually enjoyed having Harry around. He was quick witted and always had a biting remark to make about everything Victor said and did. Luckily, Victor had inherited his father's good sense of humor. Seeing Harry like this, a pitiable shell of his roommate was starting to make him angry.

"So?" He demanded. Harry tensed, but said nothing. "What are you going to do about it? You miss your girlfriend, but yet you do nothing. You just sit here and mope and pout." Harry turned his head to glare at him. "You have a crew who will follow your command. So. What. Are. You. Going. To. Do. About. It?" He enunciated every word.

"She's my captain. I don't ignore direct orders from my captain." Harry explained reluctantly.

"Well she's not here, is she? That makes you captain." Before Harry could get up in arms over that statement, Victor continued, holding up his hands in defense. "Acting captain. Until you get her back."

That piqued Harry's interest. Finally, he sat up, turning to face the boy standing over him. Harry grinned, a spark coming to life in his eyes. Victor thought he was finally getting a glimpse of the true Harry from the Isle. He looked as if he could kill a man with a look, and he understood why people feared him. He ignored the shiver of fear he couldn't suppress. "Eat. There's work to be done."

 


	4. Chapter 4

All in all, the plan wasn't really that complicated. Harry used Victor as an informant. There wasn't a lot he didn't know about Auradon Prep. Maybe if he had attempted to go to class or talk to anyone… But no matter, he had Victor. The button that opened the magical barrier was kept locked away, except on delivery days. The delivery boat driver received the button from the vault, and it stayed on his person until they returned; then back in the vault it went. Deliveries were made every fortnight, on Sundays. Until Sunday rolled around, Harry was on his best behavior. He went to his classes and stopped threatening disembowelment to every student that looked at him.

The second Sunday after he came to the isle was delivery day. He had been there for nine days without his captain. It felt like the slowest torture he could imagine. Only the thought of getting to see Uma again kept him sane. Well, as sane as Harry Hook could be.

Those nine days felt like nine years, but at long last, the day arrived. His crew knew the plan, and he knew they could be trusted. Vicky had told him where everyone would be at the time of delivery, and he had stationed his crew accordingly. Gil, who had always looked the most innocent and trustworthy, would be having a conversation with Fairy Godmother in her office. Gonzo and Bonny were dating now that they had the freedom to do so. They would be having a 'date' conveniently at the same location as Ben and Mal. Jonas would be lookout, keeping an eye on the goings from afar. And Desiree, well she had possibly the most important job of all.

As the boat returned from making its delivery, Desiree skipped over to where the workers were tying the barge to the dock. She made a beeline for the boat driver, placing a hand lightly on his arm. Harry could hear her flirtatious giggles from his location a short distance away. The boat captain was flustered at the attention, and Desiree linked an arm through his as they walked. "You know, we always appreciated you  _so_  much while on the Isle. It's amazing what you do, bringing the villains supplies like that. You must be very brave!"

Harry stifled a laugh as he walked behind them. He walked slightly faster than the two ahead of him. As he passed on their left, Desiree suddenly leaned up to kiss the captain hard on the cheek. Harry slipped a hand into the captain's pocket and slid out the button, then disappeared before anyone had realized he was there.

It didn't take long after that for the boat captain to realize the button was missing. Fairy Godmother was irate, Ben was called from his date, and they brought Desiree in for questioning. It was going perfectly.

The next step was to take the barge. This was the fun part. Victor had insisted on coming with them, and he watched in amazement as the remaining pirate crew, slipped onto the boat and easily overtook the barge, and made quick work of dispatching the barge workers, throwing them overboard. The water wasn't deep, and the men were unharmed. That was Victor's only real stipulation. Nobody was to be hurt if he were to help. Harry had kept to his word, despite the burning anger inside him that called for blood.

None of the pirate crew had ever been on a motorized boat before, and Victor felt glad he could be of some use

, even though all he had to do was start the boat. They reached the island shortly after, and used the button to momentarily lift the barrier around the boat. Harry drove the boat up to the shore, dragging the hull across the rocky shallows. Victor winced at the scraping noise.

Harry jumped over the side of the boat, shouting out a quick command for his crew. "Stay here. Guard the ship. Nobody leaves unless they want left behind." Then he was splashing through the shallows to reach the shore and start his hunt for Uma.

He made a beeline for Ursula's Fish and Chips. The walk wasn't far, the restaurant being along the water. He crashed through the front door, and his eyes immediately met Uma's across the room. She froze for only a moment before taking in her bearings. Throwing the tray she was holding down, she tore of her apron and marched over to him. Harry couldn't help the huge grin that crossed his face at the sight of her; voices that had been yelling since she left him in Auradon were suddenly all chanting the same thing.  _Uma. Uma. Uma._  She grabbed his arm as she passed and marched him outside. As soon the door slammed shut behind her, she spun around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Not even the anger clearly evident on her face could bring him down. "I came for you."

"What did you do?" She was almost yelling.

He waved the little magic button around in the air. "I got us a ride. Come on, let's go." He took a couple steps back to the barge, but stopped when he realized she wasn't following. "Captain? We need to get out of here, it won't be long before they come for us." He held out a hand for her to take.

Uma just stared at the offered hand. "You weren't supposed to come back." She told him, horrified.

His face fell. "You… You don't want me here?" He asked her, hand falling back to his side.  _Uma. Uma. Uma._

She sighed, "Of course I do, Harry. But this place isn't good for you."

"It's not good for you either. That's why we're both getting out of here." He offered his hand again. "Captain?"

This time she grabbed his hand, and for the first time in a long time, Harry's head felt quiet. It felt like his own again. Before they reached the boat, Harry yelled "Push the boat out, let's go!" But as they approached, the ship was silent. Harry and Uma slowed to an apprehensive walk, not releasing each other's hands. Then they saw why the crew hadn't responded and they stopped on the beach, unsure of how to approach the situation.

Every one of the crew was in restraints. Victor included. Auradon guards, along with Ben and the headmistress, surrounded them. This was all wrong; they should have had more time than this! Then he caught site of Desiree there too, restrained as well and with a golden bracelet wrapped around her wrist. She had tears in her eyes, watching them approach but powerless to help. "I'm sorry." She mouthed.

Ben was the first to break the silence. "Harry, it's time to go. You know I can't let this happen. I'm sorry."

Harry was furious. At Ben for coming after them, and for separating him from Uma in the first place. At his crew for being overpowered so easily. But mostly at himself, for getting caught; for not remembering the powerful magic bracelet; for thinking he could do this.

Uma squeezed his hand and tried to pull away. He held fast to her hand, not ready to let her go after just getting her back. "It's alright, Harry."

"No!" He screamed. "No, it's not alright! You  _promised_. You promised to give her a chance!"

Ben looked ashamed, but defended the choice to leave Uma on the Isle. "She did get a chance Harry, same as you. Same as all of you. Now let her go, it's time to leave to go home."

Harry spat on the ground. "That's not my home. I'm not leaving."

Alarmed, Ben looked around at his people as if for help, but none was forthcoming. "Harry, if you choose to stay here, you won't get to come back to Auradon.  _Ever._ " He stressed the last word.''

Harry took a step back, still holding onto Uma's hand. "I don't care. I have no place there with you and yours. Not like this."

"I want to stay too! You can't make me go back." Gil was the first to speak up. All heads swiveled to him in shock. "My place is with my captain and first mate."

"Aye, what's a crew without a captain?" Jonas asked. "My place is here." The rest of the crew echoed the sentiment.

Uma looked horrified. "No. You must all go back to Auradon. I won't have your futures on my shoulders. That's an order."

Harry shook his head. "That's one order that I respectfully decline, Captain. I'm staying here whether you want me or not."

Uma yanked her hand from his. "It wasn't a  _suggestion_  for you to accept or decline, Harry." She spat out viscously.

"Even so." Was all Harry had to say, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

"Ben," Victor pleaded, "give her another chance. She's  _good_ , she truly is. I would bet my freedom on it."

Fairy Godmother looked at him dubiously. "What makes you so sure, young man?"

"I've spoken to her crew over the last week. And some of the younger Isle kids. They all attest to her goodness and kind heart." Victor insisted.

"She stole, she lied, and she even kidnapped the king!" Fairy Godmother interjected.

"Uma did what she needed to do!" Harry jumped to her defense.

Victor nodded vigorously. "I've heard the same testament from everyone I talked to. She not only survived, but she helped others to survive as well. That's a rare trait on the Isle! Even kidnapping King Ben was because you left all the Isle kids here to rot after finding your true love!" He shouted. Then, looking stricken, he tried to backtrack. "Uh, I mean, not that I blame you King Ben. I'm sure you were trying to help and were going to-"

Ben raised a hand for quiet. "It's alright, Victor. I appreciate your courage and loyalty to your new friends. I would like to take this matter under consideration."

Fairy Godmother looked at her king in horror. "But she killed someone! She admitted it herself!"

Ben nodded gravely. "The isle breeds hard people and creates even harder circumstances. The kindness she has shown to the other children here is, as Victor said, a very rare trait. I will give her a chance to explain herself and hear what the people she has helped have to say." He addressed them all.

"Sir, I would really advise against this. This kind of influence in the school could-"

Ben cut the Fairy Godmother off. "I did not ask for your advice, nor do I currently want it. You're headmistress and I appreciate all you do for us, but you are not my advisor." He inclined his head towards Uma, "Would you come peacefully, in restraints?"

Uma and Harry shared a glance, so much meaning behind the one look. Uma knew Harry would stay here with her if she were to stay as well. But she didn't want to stay, and she definitely didn't want him to stay here because of her. She turned to Ben and nodded. "I will."

Harry paced nervously up and down the hall. It had been over an hour since Uma had disappeared into the room with the king and some of the king's advisors and such. Each of their crew had been called into the room one at a time to say their piece before being sent to their dorms. Harry hadn't been called in. He supposed they already knew what he had to say on the matter. So he paced. And paced. And scared off anyone who tried to talk to him. And paced some more.

It was dark outside by the time the door swung open and Uma stepped out, followed by King Ben and the others. Harry froze as Uma approached him, face unreadable. Stopping just a foot away from him, she smiled. Harry felt his body sag in relief. "You-?" He couldn't even get the words out.

"I can stay." She told him. He reached out to hug her, but she stepped away from him.

Lurching back, he apologized. "I'm sorry, Captain. I was just…"

Uma gave him a tight-lipped smile. "We need to talk. Alone."

Fearing the worst, Harry nodded tersely and followed her as she led the way from the room.

"Take me to your dorm." She commanded.

He did as told.

They stepped into the room, and Uma glared at Victor who was sitting on the bed moping about the two months detention he and the pirate crew had received for stealing the boat. "Out."

Victor didn't hesitate to give them their privacy, only throwing out a quick "Good luck, Frosty" before sliding out the door and shutting it behind him.

Uma threw harry a questioning look, and Harry shrugged.

They had more important things to worry about. "Listen to my words, Harry." She demanded of him. She looked angry enough to kill.

"Of course." He stood straight, hands clasped behind his back.

If it had been anyone else, she might have mistaken it for sarcasm. But of course, this was Harry. Harry always listened to her.

"Twice today you implied that I didn't want you around." When he opened his mouth to respond, she held up a hand. "I said listen, don't speak. Twice you implied that you thought I wouldn't want you with me and I think we need to get something straight. I  _always_ want you Harry. You're my first mate and my best friend. I was scared of you getting stuck on that damn island with me again and I wanted better for you. And now…"

Heart in his throat, Harry just managed to croak out, "And now…?"

Uma took a deep breath to steady herself. "And now that we're both here for good, somewhere that we don't have to hide… Harry I want you to be more than my first mate and best friend."

She had never seen Harry so speechless. She waited with bated breath for his response, and was not disappointed.

"I… you want to? Me? More?" He stammered out.

She nodded sharply.

Suddenly, he lunged forward and enveloped her in a hug. She didn't hesitate wrap her arms around his neck, laughing as he lifted her off the ground. He buried his face in her shoulder, and whispered, "I love you, Uma."

She pulled away just enough to look into his eyes, blue meeting brown. "I love you too." And then she kissed him. After years of longing, never letting themselves truly love and be loved, they finally could hold each other in their arms.

Breaking apart, Harry leaned his forehead on hers, playing with one of her teal braids. "I missed you."

Uma laughed lightly. "Yeah, I kind of figured that one out for myself when you stole a boat and came to my rescue."

Harry grinned proudly, giving her a quick kiss. "I love that I can do this now." He kissed her forehead, then both cheeks, delighted in watching her nose crinkle as he pressed a kiss there as well.

Uma halted the kisses with a hand on his cheek, and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him again. He gladly returned the kiss with fervor, deepening it, wishing they could stay like this forever. After a long while the need for air drew them apart.

Uma was the first to break the silence. Grinning a Cheshire grin, she said "So…. Frosty, huh?"

_Fin._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end. I'm sorry the last chapter took so long! If you feel at all inclined to tell me what you think, either good or bad, let me know!


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